New Moon of Humble Clarity in Aquarius with Bird's Nest Fungi and Mycelium
Welcome to the New Moon of Humble Clarity in Aquarius at 15°44' on February 4, 2019 and 13:03 PST. This is Earth's 7th New Moon of focus and subtle listening that is leading us to the second half of the 13 moon lunar year.
I feel like out of all of the zodiac signs, Aquarius energy is one of the more misunderstood, and that's certainly very Aquarius of me to say. Even though Aquarius is an air sign, its symbol is the water bearer. Mental Aquarius energy strongly parallels any practice of mindfulness. Aquarius is a great communal energy bearer that represents the sharing of consciousness with all living beings.
Aquarius rules circulation, the nervous system, and electrical forces of the body. This may be a time of subtle energies, but those subtleties ask us to listen deeper and observe with great clarity. Zen is a practice of observing our consciousness to become clear and at peace with our emptiness. Zen is to contemplate the essential or primal nature of the mind, and as we know, the mind is not just the brain in our head, but also our body and its energetic channels and fields.
Aquarius, the water bearer, helps us organize and form our energies, similar to the practice of Zen. Through the subtle discipline of observing our thoughts, and using breath to anchor the body and space we are in. We eventually realize the interconnectedness of all things. We can see with clarity to be in the present moment.
Aquarius New Moon February 2019 MycoAstrological Associations:
1) Bird's Nest Fungi (Nidula candida and other genera including Crucibulum, Cyathus, Mycocalia, and Nidularia): lucid dreaming, mediumship, clarity
MycoAstrological Correspondences: Planet: Moon; Secondary Planet: Uranus; Day: Monday; Main Organ: Brain; 2nd Organ: Stomach; System: Nervous; Tissue: Marrow; Action: Cold/Moist
2) Mycelium: vigor, taking and giving, adaptation, stress, self-preservation, discriminating, freedom, nonconformity, irresolution, rebellion
MycoAstrological Correspondences: Planet: Jupiter; Secondary Planet: Uranus; Day: Thursday; Main Organ: Liver, 2nd Organ: Gallbladder, System: Metabolic; Tissue: Fat; Action: Warm/Moist
Aquarius' phrase "I Know" is deeply related to the foundations of Zen. With a Zen perspective, what we can truly know is, well, nothing. What can we truly grasp onto? Nothing. Because nothing is permanent and everything is interrelated (beautifully reflected to us through fungi and their rhizosphere). What am I? Why is that person so frustrating? Why aren't they interested in me? Where will I go when I die? We see it is impossible to define or know what we are. In order to know what we are, we try to trap and grasp, and we suffer in the process. We get nowhere in identifying one cause because everything is interconnected. In living with a Zen perspective, when we do something, we don't know it -- we simply be it. In Zen, to truly "know" is to be in the present moment, to not be caught up with monkey mind and to be an clear with great love. To be clear is not to be one thing, but rather an ever-changing, fluid force of love, shifting in and out of the spaces we find ourselves in.
The mind in its primal nature is empty sky, thoughts flow freely in and out and we are left with a vast and glistening openness. At the root or mycelium, we are consciousness that, as much as we try, cannot grasp onto anything. We can surely receive, digest, and expand, but nothing is ever truly just ours.
It is uncomfortable to be human, in this bodily form. We have a primal longing for something. If we are able to see that we are more than our suffering bodies, if we become aware of our interconnectedness, we can become a little more aware of and free from our distractions and illusions in our material lives.
Other aspects affecting this new moon cycle include:
Venus moving into Capricorn on 2/3 is also very mycelial. Venus is the planet that forms relationship, it is connective, and wants love in all its forms. Venus has the urge to connect just as mycelium does. The primary function of Venus lies in skillfully and wisefully rejecting people. Venus, along with Aquarius, have a discriminating quality. Venus asks us who we are supposed to share this precious gift of intimacy with? The transition out of the fiery, passionate, enthusiastic Sagittarius and into Capricorn will definitely be felt. Into Capricorn we will revisit the importance of patience and the lessons of constantly climbing in between contracting and expanding. Capricorn's ruler Saturn is identified with melancholy, a Roman "child of Saturn" was somebody who was experiencing depression. Our struggles, sadness, and lows are a part of our transformations. Saturn emphasizes our toughest lessons.
1) Bird's Nest Fungi (Nidula candida and other genera including Crucibulum, Cyathus, Mycocalia, and Nidularia): lucid dreaming, mediumship, clarity
MycoAstrological Correspondences: Planet: Moon; Secondary Planet: Uranus; Day: Monday; Main Organ: Brain; 2nd Organ: Stomach; System: Nervous; Tissue: Marrow; Action: Cold/Moist
The Bird's Nest Fungi are tiny bearers of immense life, keying in on the humble foundations of water bearing. These tiny mushrooms can teach us to observe, pay attention to all of the life-bearing energy in the subtle things. Such an odd looking mushroom is also bound to shock some, just as Aquarius' ruling planet Uranus seeks to surprise and break free of any external authority.
The symbol of the Water Bearer is one that represents the great sustenance of life itself. All things, on this earth, would die without water. In the Babylonian Star Catalogues, which illustrated the 12 zodiacs later adopted by the Egyptians and Greeks, Aquarius is identified as Ea -- "The Great One" or noble prince of heavenly knowledge. The Sumerians knew him as Enki, "Lord of the Earth", and Mesopotamian epithets included "Nudimmud" (Maker), Ushumgal (Great Serpent), and Lord of the Abzu (the abyss of the primeval waters). In Egypt he was known as Ptah, the great maker god and lord of magic, and in Greece this original creator god was associated with the myths of Ganymede and of Prometheus who enlightened man with the fire of the gods. For the Babylonians and Egyptians, Aquarius is associated with the destructive winter-time floods; the banks were said to flood when mischievous Aquarius dipped his jar into the river, beginning spring.
Many myths can depict themes of sharing the wealth of fluid consciousness, but the two Greek myths of Prometheus and of Ganymede bear many ripe teachings for this time of the new moon -- an excellent time of checking in and setting intentions.
The myth of Ganymede is the Greek creation story behind the constellation of Aquarius. Ganymede was the son of Tros, king of Troy. One day Ganymede was tending his father's sheep in a grassy area when Zeus (Jupiter) spotted him and was overcome by his beauty (yes, this myth also supports the Greek social custom of pederasty). Infatuated, Zeus turned into a mighty eagle, swept up Ganymede, and brought him to Mt. Olympus. Ganymede was given highly distinguished cup-bearer position -- making him responsible for pouring the divine drink of ruby nectar into the the golden cups of all of the Goddesses and Gods. Ganymede realized how much the world needed water so he begged Zeus to let him serve humanity. The legend tells that water fell into the earth, causing rains and floods for days. Myth varies here pertaining to the reason, but Zeus wanted to punish Ganymede. He realized he was just a boy, so he immortalized him into the stars and declared him as the Aquarius - the god of rainfall.
2) Mycelium: vigor, taking and giving, adaptation, stress, self-preservation, discriminating, freedom, nonconformity, irresolution, rebellion
MycoAstrological Correspondences: Planet: Jupiter; Secondary Planet: Uranus; Day: Thursday; Main Organ: Liver, 2nd Organ: Gallbladder, System: Metabolic; Tissue: Fat; Action: Warm/Moist
Now that we've established how meditative Aquarius is, we can see that the truth is in our interconnectedness. Or, better said, the truth is in the mycelium.
Mycelium is the vegetative system of the fungus that permeates the ground and consists of individual strands of white thread-like hyphae. A mushroom will only fruit when these strands of hyphae have found each other and once conditions are right, they will form a hyphal knot out of which pops a mushroom! Mycelium are the gatekeepers of nutrient exchange, connecting to plant roots and providing 95% of all plants with what they need to thrive in resilience.
Aquarius is one of the oldest and faintest constellations. The constellation has no one particular bright star and it resides in what is called the "sea" because of a large number of constellations whose names are connected to water like Cetus (whale), Pisces (fish), and Eridanus (river). Like the stars, mycelium are our ancient ancestors, and their hyphae often exist so faintly in the ground that they are in fact out of sight and out of mind for many people. While there may be collections of stronger and thicker hyphae, there is not one particularly strong segment. The system works as a whole. If you observe the fungi in the woods or in your kombucha or in your inoculated logs you've got in your backyard, you will see that while there are some rules of thumb to their growth cycles, the fungus will not bend to any cultivator and will always do what it wants. If you observe the fungus you will begin to grow with the fungus.
The mycelium acts as a discriminating mind, observing where to send its energy and which parts of the mycelium deserve to be let go. The discriminating mind ultimately reaches clarity, for when we observe what in our life deserves more energy to grow, we can discern what we truly value. Aquarius is the wellness of the masses, and to be aware of your oneness in the world and cosmos is to be at peace with divine union. Aquarius is for the betterment of all: when we do good for us, we do good for whole. In working toward inner peace we can translate inner to outer peace. Ask yourself, do you really need this? Have faith in the flow and in your connections. Trust the mycelium.
In the end, fungi will destroy everything that humans have ever created. On the stage of the Age of Aquarius, fungi and their mycelium set a time limit on human productions. They remind us that the cosmic theater is much larger than our human bodies. Some characteristics of mycelium that are also associated with the Age of Aquarius are rebellion, freedom, democracy, perseverance, nonconformity, humanity, and irresolution.
In many ways Mycelium and Uranus (Aquarius' ruling plane) are the antithesis of civilization. Fungi are born of wild mycelium, free of social constraints and defiant of imposed hierarchies. This is the same spirit of wild and uncontainable Uranus. Often fungi cultivators think they might be controlling the fungus, but truly it is really the mycelial networks that determine how successful and long-lived a given cultivation project will be. Fungi are free and wild creatures that will only perform the work that benefits them and their immediate environment most directly.
The myth of Prometheus tells of Prometheus defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity, an act that ignites civilization and our creative evolution (and de-evolution?). Fire symbolized a creative spirit (Leo is the fire sign and is opposite of Aquarius) and this flame made mortals a little too much like the gods themselves. Zeus' vengeance was no small matter for Prometheus -- each day an eagle flew down to Prometheus who was lying on a rock and would claw at his liver. Each night Prometheus' liver would restore itself and grow back. Each day the cycle repeated, liver gnashing in immense suffering, and this continued until the mighty Hercules came down into the underworld to set Prometheus free.
The price that Prometheus paid is also important to the psychology of Aquarius -- for Aquarius knowledge is always superior to blindness. To Aquarius, all individuals in the end should be their own ultimate judge. Aquarius is the sign that pumps out the secrets of matter and the universe and is in defiance to any authority or religion.
I feel like out of all of the zodiac signs, Aquarius energy is one of the more misunderstood, and that's certainly very Aquarius of me to say. Even though Aquarius is an air sign, its symbol is the water bearer. Mental Aquarius energy strongly parallels any practice of mindfulness. Aquarius is a great communal energy bearer that represents the sharing of consciousness with all living beings.
Aquarius rules circulation, the nervous system, and electrical forces of the body. This may be a time of subtle energies, but those subtleties ask us to listen deeper and observe with great clarity. Zen is a practice of observing our consciousness to become clear and at peace with our emptiness. Zen is to contemplate the essential or primal nature of the mind, and as we know, the mind is not just the brain in our head, but also our body and its energetic channels and fields.
 |
| Transit Chart for the New Moon of Humble Clarity on February 4, 2019 at 13:03 PST (astrotheme.com) |
Aquarius New Moon February 2019 MycoAstrological Associations:
1) Bird's Nest Fungi (Nidula candida and other genera including Crucibulum, Cyathus, Mycocalia, and Nidularia): lucid dreaming, mediumship, clarity
MycoAstrological Correspondences: Planet: Moon; Secondary Planet: Uranus; Day: Monday; Main Organ: Brain; 2nd Organ: Stomach; System: Nervous; Tissue: Marrow; Action: Cold/Moist
2) Mycelium: vigor, taking and giving, adaptation, stress, self-preservation, discriminating, freedom, nonconformity, irresolution, rebellion
MycoAstrological Correspondences: Planet: Jupiter; Secondary Planet: Uranus; Day: Thursday; Main Organ: Liver, 2nd Organ: Gallbladder, System: Metabolic; Tissue: Fat; Action: Warm/Moist
Aquarius' phrase "I Know" is deeply related to the foundations of Zen. With a Zen perspective, what we can truly know is, well, nothing. What can we truly grasp onto? Nothing. Because nothing is permanent and everything is interrelated (beautifully reflected to us through fungi and their rhizosphere). What am I? Why is that person so frustrating? Why aren't they interested in me? Where will I go when I die? We see it is impossible to define or know what we are. In order to know what we are, we try to trap and grasp, and we suffer in the process. We get nowhere in identifying one cause because everything is interconnected. In living with a Zen perspective, when we do something, we don't know it -- we simply be it. In Zen, to truly "know" is to be in the present moment, to not be caught up with monkey mind and to be an clear with great love. To be clear is not to be one thing, but rather an ever-changing, fluid force of love, shifting in and out of the spaces we find ourselves in.
The mind in its primal nature is empty sky, thoughts flow freely in and out and we are left with a vast and glistening openness. At the root or mycelium, we are consciousness that, as much as we try, cannot grasp onto anything. We can surely receive, digest, and expand, but nothing is ever truly just ours.
Other aspects affecting this new moon cycle include:
- Mercury will move into Pisces on 2/10, having been in Aquarius since 1/23. Mercury goes retrograde for most of March (in Pisces) until finally vacating Pisces and pushing into Aries in on 4/17/19.
- Venus moves from Sagittarius to Capricorn on 2/3 until 3/26. This is a big transition with the planet that forms relationship.
- We are completing the last third of Mars' journey in its home planet of Aries. Mars will move into Taurus on 2/14. Savor Mars' last ride in Aries -- it is good for focus and drive. What is the best I can be before I speak or act in this situation? Very supportive to mindfulness.
- If we take a look at the locations of Aquarius' ruling planets: Saturn is direct in Capricorn (retrogrades on 4/29) and Uranus is in Aries until 3/5. On average, Uranus spends ~7 years in a sign, and it is in its 29 degrees or its last degrees of Aries for the rest of the month. The archetype of Uranus leaving Aries is very historically relevant -- there an urgent demand for change in society. Uranus is demanding to be heard.
- We are living in the middle of Mercury's Aquarius energy who moved into Aquarius on 1/23 until 2/10.
- All planets have been direct since 1/6 and will be through February until a Mercury retrograde from 3/5-3/27.
Venus moving into Capricorn on 2/3 is also very mycelial. Venus is the planet that forms relationship, it is connective, and wants love in all its forms. Venus has the urge to connect just as mycelium does. The primary function of Venus lies in skillfully and wisefully rejecting people. Venus, along with Aquarius, have a discriminating quality. Venus asks us who we are supposed to share this precious gift of intimacy with? The transition out of the fiery, passionate, enthusiastic Sagittarius and into Capricorn will definitely be felt. Into Capricorn we will revisit the importance of patience and the lessons of constantly climbing in between contracting and expanding. Capricorn's ruler Saturn is identified with melancholy, a Roman "child of Saturn" was somebody who was experiencing depression. Our struggles, sadness, and lows are a part of our transformations. Saturn emphasizes our toughest lessons.
1) Bird's Nest Fungi (Nidula candida and other genera including Crucibulum, Cyathus, Mycocalia, and Nidularia): lucid dreaming, mediumship, clarity
MycoAstrological Correspondences: Planet: Moon; Secondary Planet: Uranus; Day: Monday; Main Organ: Brain; 2nd Organ: Stomach; System: Nervous; Tissue: Marrow; Action: Cold/Moist
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| Nidula candida full of tan/brown peridioles (spore packets) in Gold Hill, Oregon, February 2019 (Kingman Bond-Graham) |
The Bird's Nest fungi are saprophytic, or decomposers that take nutrients from the material that is decomposing thereby increasing its rate of process. The Bird's Nest fungi have been identified with 5 genera: Nidula, Crucibulum, Cyathus, Mycocalia, and Nidularia.
Bird's Nest fungi are cup fungi that bear spore packets called peridioles, which contain the fungus' spores inside. When a raindrop splashes into the cup, these peridioles propel out of the cup, into the air and can land 3 to 4 feet away (incredible for such a tiny being!). The peridioles extend out where they can latch with their sticky surface onto the forest floor or other twigs and stems. Once the peridioles find somewhere new, their outer shell dries up and the spores are released. How this Uranus splash-cup mechanism of spore slinging works is still a bit of a mystery. You can read more about the hypotheses here. Uranus' surprising and explosive characteristics are well played in this mushroom.
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| Nidula candida in Bridle Trails Park, WA January 2019. |
The myth of Ganymede is the Greek creation story behind the constellation of Aquarius. Ganymede was the son of Tros, king of Troy. One day Ganymede was tending his father's sheep in a grassy area when Zeus (Jupiter) spotted him and was overcome by his beauty (yes, this myth also supports the Greek social custom of pederasty). Infatuated, Zeus turned into a mighty eagle, swept up Ganymede, and brought him to Mt. Olympus. Ganymede was given highly distinguished cup-bearer position -- making him responsible for pouring the divine drink of ruby nectar into the the golden cups of all of the Goddesses and Gods. Ganymede realized how much the world needed water so he begged Zeus to let him serve humanity. The legend tells that water fell into the earth, causing rains and floods for days. Myth varies here pertaining to the reason, but Zeus wanted to punish Ganymede. He realized he was just a boy, so he immortalized him into the stars and declared him as the Aquarius - the god of rainfall.
According to Robert Rogers' Mushroom Essences, Bird's Nest mushroom essence helps bring renewed, childlike sweetness to life and reestablishes soul connection by seeing through the heart.
2) Mycelium: vigor, taking and giving, adaptation, stress, self-preservation, discriminating, freedom, nonconformity, irresolution, rebellion
MycoAstrological Correspondences: Planet: Jupiter; Secondary Planet: Uranus; Day: Thursday; Main Organ: Liver, 2nd Organ: Gallbladder, System: Metabolic; Tissue: Fat; Action: Warm/Moist
 |
| Mycelium! (https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa15/2015/10/23/fungus-to-replace-plastic/) |
Mycelium is the vegetative system of the fungus that permeates the ground and consists of individual strands of white thread-like hyphae. A mushroom will only fruit when these strands of hyphae have found each other and once conditions are right, they will form a hyphal knot out of which pops a mushroom! Mycelium are the gatekeepers of nutrient exchange, connecting to plant roots and providing 95% of all plants with what they need to thrive in resilience.
Aquarius is one of the oldest and faintest constellations. The constellation has no one particular bright star and it resides in what is called the "sea" because of a large number of constellations whose names are connected to water like Cetus (whale), Pisces (fish), and Eridanus (river). Like the stars, mycelium are our ancient ancestors, and their hyphae often exist so faintly in the ground that they are in fact out of sight and out of mind for many people. While there may be collections of stronger and thicker hyphae, there is not one particularly strong segment. The system works as a whole. If you observe the fungi in the woods or in your kombucha or in your inoculated logs you've got in your backyard, you will see that while there are some rules of thumb to their growth cycles, the fungus will not bend to any cultivator and will always do what it wants. If you observe the fungus you will begin to grow with the fungus.
The mycelium acts as a discriminating mind, observing where to send its energy and which parts of the mycelium deserve to be let go. The discriminating mind ultimately reaches clarity, for when we observe what in our life deserves more energy to grow, we can discern what we truly value. Aquarius is the wellness of the masses, and to be aware of your oneness in the world and cosmos is to be at peace with divine union. Aquarius is for the betterment of all: when we do good for us, we do good for whole. In working toward inner peace we can translate inner to outer peace. Ask yourself, do you really need this? Have faith in the flow and in your connections. Trust the mycelium.
In the end, fungi will destroy everything that humans have ever created. On the stage of the Age of Aquarius, fungi and their mycelium set a time limit on human productions. They remind us that the cosmic theater is much larger than our human bodies. Some characteristics of mycelium that are also associated with the Age of Aquarius are rebellion, freedom, democracy, perseverance, nonconformity, humanity, and irresolution.
In many ways Mycelium and Uranus (Aquarius' ruling plane) are the antithesis of civilization. Fungi are born of wild mycelium, free of social constraints and defiant of imposed hierarchies. This is the same spirit of wild and uncontainable Uranus. Often fungi cultivators think they might be controlling the fungus, but truly it is really the mycelial networks that determine how successful and long-lived a given cultivation project will be. Fungi are free and wild creatures that will only perform the work that benefits them and their immediate environment most directly.
 |
| Mycelium is visible in this fruiting Ramaria species. |
The price that Prometheus paid is also important to the psychology of Aquarius -- for Aquarius knowledge is always superior to blindness. To Aquarius, all individuals in the end should be their own ultimate judge. Aquarius is the sign that pumps out the secrets of matter and the universe and is in defiance to any authority or religion.
We can be quick to pass off Aquarius as personalities of detachment, but if we push these shallow temperaments aside, we can see the true discerning energy of Aquarius. Aquarius represents the first to hear consciousness -- and to share it with all. Aquarius is the great god of the waters, teacher of divine wisdom.
As Zen Master Dogen says, "The Dharma is amply present in every person, but without practice, it is not manifested; without realization, it is not attained."
Dharma (or cosmic flow, divine union, sacredness, Goddess,...) exists outside of time and place and within all living beings. Without practice we are not aware of it, it is not our perspective, and without realizing it in our own bodily perspective, we cannot feel it and be it.
Dharma (or cosmic flow, divine union, sacredness, Goddess,...) exists outside of time and place and within all living beings. Without practice we are not aware of it, it is not our perspective, and without realizing it in our own bodily perspective, we cannot feel it and be it.
Citations
- McCoy, Peter (2016). Radical Mycology: A treatise on seeing and working with fungi. Portland, Oregon: Chtheaus Press.
- Rogers, Robert (2016). Mushroom essences: Vibrational healing from the kingdom fungi. Berkley, California: North Atlantic Books
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